Behind The Mask : Psychology and Dramatic Acting.

This thesis examines the personalities and identity processes of dramatic actors in view of notions, derived from the dramaturgical metaphor, regarding self and identity. In particular, the four studies reported investigate the psychological effects upon the actor's self and identity of dramatic role-playing. The main findings suggest that the acting process may bring to actors' consciousness aspects of their self and identity; that a specific actor personality type per se does not exist, but that some personality dimensions may be encouraged by the acting process, and/or by the acting profession; that the extent to which actors will be affected psychologically by their dramatic roles may depend upon the extent to which they possess a core sense of self and a stable identity; and that actors may be more likely to experience confusion (and, thus, perhaps, conflict) when playing a dramatic role which they perceive as reflecting aspects of their self and identity. The implications of these findings for dramatic role-playing and the dramatic actor, for theories of self and identity and for the dramaturgical metaphor are considered